For Thine is the Glory
by xShanastay
Summary: After millenia Glorfindel comes face to face with something he no longer believed himself capable of. Alternative take on the Twisted universe, starting where Through a Mirror Darkly left off. R rating for some violence and sexual content.
1. FreeFall

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The full versions of this and all my fics can be found on adultfanfiction.net author ID Shanastay.

Btw, the song at the beginning is _The Dream Within_ by Lara Fabian.  If you've seen Final Fantasy the Spirits Within, it's the song at the end with the credits.

**Chapter 1: Free-Fall**

Free… the dream within

The stars are crying, a tear

A sigh…

Escapes from heaven, and worlds end

Janessa felt like she was floating, surrounded by darkness.  It was as if she were engulfed in warm water, the liquid lapping gently at her skin.

Breathe… the dream within

The mystifying

We tremble and spin

Suspended within

Pain flared in various parts of her body, drawing a gasp from her.  The discomfort faded away to a dull ache, warmth suffusing her body.

Look beyond,

Where hearts can see

Dream in peace

Trust love, believe

Janessa felt safe for the first time in she didn't know how long.  Her senses seemed muted, yet that fact didn't disturb her.  She reveled in the feeling, letting herself be at peace.

We tremble and spin

Suspended within

Suddenly the woman was falling, tumbling through empty space.  The drop went on and on, seemingly endless.  Yet she wasn't worried.

Free… the dream within

A voice is calling, a song

A prayer, from deep inside you

To guide you

Janessa became aware of a voice singing softly.  The sound was melodic, soothing even.  The woman suddenly noticed she had stopped falling.  As that realization struck her, she registered the voice had changed.  There were two now.  One was singing while the other had a more urgent note.

Be… the dream within

The light is shining

I fly on the wind

Salvation begins

Janessa suddenly felt light hitting her face.  Her eyes fluttered open, her vision swimming.  For a moment she thought she saw a blurry face before her, haloed in gold, then it was gone.  She blinked slowly, her surroundings gradually coming into focus.

Look beyond

Where hearts can see

Dream in peace

Trust love, believe

Jan found she was lying on her left side in a grassy clearing surrounded by evergreens, the heady scent of pine hitting her nose.  She blinked several times, raising her right hand to shade her eyes from the brightly streaming sunlight as she lifted her head, looking around.  The lilting melody continued, seemingly floating along the light breeze.

We tremble and spin

Suspended within

As she stiffly sat up, she realized she was dressed in full leathers, her bow, quiver and katana strapped to her back.  She froze as she spotted a figure crouched across the clearing, several feet away from her.  Adrenaline flooded Jan's system as she rolled to her feet into a modified crouched lunge, left leg up, right knee down.  Her right hand dropped to pull up her pant leg, her fingers wrapping around the hilt of the long knife in her boot.

Free… the dream within

The stars are crying, a tear

A sigh, escapes from heaven

And worlds end

Janessa paused again as the striking figure across from her spoke, uttering several melodic syllables.  _Wait a minute.  That sounded familiar._  The other had not moved from his position and was waiting for a response.  The redhead took a moment to take in the other's appearance as her mind whirled, trying to identify the language he'd spoken.

Jan assumed the long unbound golden hair blowing around the figure composed the "halo" she had perceived as she became conscious.  _He must have been kneeling over me and backed off when he realized I was coming to._  The person across the way was handsome and clearly male, based on his facial features and build.  He was lithe but well-muscled.  He was clad in muted shades of green and brown, a grey cloak flowing off his shoulders.

He was crouched down, his weight balanced between the balls of his feet and the fingers of his left hand that was extended to the ground in front of him, causing him to lean slightly forward.  His right hand was by his side, fingertips trailing over the hilt of a curved sword resting on the ground.  On his back were a gracefully arced bow and a quiver full of blue-fletched arrows.  His posture was warily defensive, the tensed muscles of his thighs visible through the fabric of his leggings. 

While she stared at him, he stared back just as intently, something unidentifiable in his eyes.  Jan finally hit on what was so familiar about the language he had spoken.  She had heard it before and fairly recently.  _Sindarin.  That's what he's speaking.  Hold on.  Why the hell is he speaking that?_

Jan took another look around at her surroundings, spotting her saddlebags near the base of a tree and realizing the last place she remembered being was running away from an exploding tanker on a Colorado Springs freeway.  _OK.  WTF???  How did I get here and where the hell is HERE?_

The redhead watched the blonde across the way narrow his eyes, scrutinizing her as thoroughly as she had him.  He spoke again, the syllables floating across the clearing like music, but his tone betraying the words as some kind of demand.

_Yep.  Definitely Sindarin.  _Trying to remember what little she had learned of the language she spoke a simple phrase, "Saes, mellon."  The figure across the way stood, rising to his full height, the long, curved sword gripped in his right hand.  Jan let her pant leg drop back, the fabric hiding her knife as she stood. 

Remembering something else she quickly placed her right hand over her heart and bowing slightly she uttered what she remembered to be a greeting, "Mae Govannen."  She continued, not wishing the figure to believe she was fluent, "I remember little of that language.  Do you speak the language I'm using?"

As Jan stood back up the wind caught the tall figure's hair, swirling it away from his head, revealing pointed ears.  That little observation was a bit more than the woman could take.  Making a "T" sign with her hands, she spoke again, cutting him off.  "Time-out.  What the heck is this?"  Keeping the elf? in her periphery she looked about the clearing, shouting, "OK!  Come on out!  Joke's over!  You had your fun!"

Jan watched the elf's confused expression as she yelled to the trees, "You dumped me in a clearing with some rather fine actor who almost had me convinced for a second there that I'd actually landed in Middle Earth."  When nothing happened other than the pseudo-elf raising his blade Jan tried one more time.  "Not funny anymore!  Come ON!  Joke's over!"

The figure across the way stood defensively, suddenly spoke again, his voice deep and melodic.  "Who do you address so?  Clearly you were not speaking to me."

Jan laughed lightly, "You can drop the act, jig's up."

His brow furrowed, he answered, "Jig?  I do not understand.  Why would I be acting?  Your speech is odd, yet you seem to know my language.  Identify yourself."

"Who am I?  Who the hell are you and why won't you just stop with this charade?" Jan retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

The elf set his mouth in a line, annoyance now clear on his face.  "I say again, identify yourself.  I am not jesting."

Jan rolled her eyes.  Still stand-offish, she adopted a false Irish accent, declaring, "Tell me your name elf, and I shall tell you mine."

Both the elf's brows went up as the woman sounded very much like the dwarf Gimli.  His patience clearly wearing thin he called out, "I am Glorfindel, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, seneschal to Lord Elrond Perendhil.  Now, who are you?"

Jan's mouth dropped open and she stared blatantly in disbelief.  _Whoa, back up.  Glorfindel???  Hello?  Did I just fall into Middle Earth or something?  Not possible.  No way.  I am NOT talking to the infamous balrog-slayer._

Across the way, the warrior was regarding the woman with disturbing alacrity.  _She fits the description Legolas gave me exactly, right down to the leather attire.  That hair.  I have never seen a shade such as it.  But how can I be sure this is she?  And how did she get here?  From what he said she was in another time or place, somewhere entirely foreign.  _As Janessa stared, Glorfindel began advancing on her position.

The woman perceived the movement and immediately moved to the side and back, reaching up to retrieve her katana.  Her own annoyance showing, the redhead brought her sword to the ready position.  She held it in a two-hand grip, left foot forward, right angled back, her weight balanced between, weapon raised over her head, point turned to face the elf. 

"Sure you are, and I'm Arwen Undomiel."  Realizing she'd probably gone too far with that she continued, "My name is Janessa Collier, I have no house and serve no one but myself.  Now, who are you really?"

Still advancing slowly, Glorfindel answered her challenge.  "I have told you who I am, yet you do not believe me."  The elf moved warily, assessing the woman's stance as that of an advanced fighter.  He was determined not to underestimate his opponent.

Jan spoke carefully as the pair began circling each other.  "Let's assume you ARE the legendary reborn balrog-slayer.  That would mean I'm most likely in the forest surrounding Imladris and I've somehow stepped into a storybook or this is one hella realistic dream because you are a fictional character."

Glorfindel tempered his reaction.  "How do you know of me?  Only a select few are aware of my rebirth.  And I assure you, I am quite real," the elf's face was painted with suspicion.

"Ok, how 'bout this?  You lower your sword, I lower mine and we figure this out."

Glorfindel nodded, lowering his blade, but still holding it ready.

Jan dropped hers so the back side of the blade rested against her left forearm while she reached over and pinched her right arm.  _OW!  FUCK!_  "One question."  Glorfindel inclined his head.  "Has the One Ring been found?"

"The One Ring was unmade in the fires of Mount Doom by Frodo of the Shire some time ago."  The seneschal puzzled over her apparent knowledge of events in Middle Earth.  With conviction, Glorfindel realized, _this IS Legolas' mystery woman.  She is linked to him.  That must be how she knows as much as she does.  But how could she not know of the Ring's destruction?_

The redhead watched the elf as true recognition flared in his eyes.  _He knows something._  Jan brought her sword around, holding it casually in her right hand.  "You know me.  Not my name, but somehow you know something about me.  What are you not saying?  Tell me!"

As the woman practically flamed before him, the seneschal felt the same tightening in his loins he'd experienced as Legolas described her to him.  Perturbed by his unconscious reaction, the elf pushed aside the unwanted desire, reigning in his body's reaction.  _Intriguing.  I will examine this later, at a more opportune time.  _Perceiving that she posed no imminent danger to him, Glorfindel sheathed his sword at his hip.

His thumbs tucked into his belt, the elf stood casually as he dropped a ton of bricks on Janessa's head.  "You are the woman from Legolas' visions.  He told me of you and the violent assaults you suffered.  He suffered with you.  I know not why or how, but tis true."

Janessa was struck dumb for a moment.  Mouth hanging open she almost dropped her sword at Glorfindel's matter-of-fact declaration.  _I'm WHAT?  He huh?  What the hell?_  Mind reeling, Jan closed her mouth, dumbly returning her sword to her back, processing what the elf-lord had said.  She was pulled from her thoughts as the seneschal whistled sharply.  Her eyes widened as a huge white stallion emerged from the tree line.  _Asfaloth.  He's just like Tolkein described.  Oh dear.  Oh god.  This is REAL!_

_Fuck this.  I don't care what he says, I'm not getting played and this is one game I am NOT participating in.  _Janessa waited until the horse approached the elf, whickering softly.  Once Glorfindel's attention was off of her, the redhead turned on her heel and took off running.

Glorfindel immediately caught the sound of her footfalls.  His head snapped around in time to see the flash of her red mane disappearing into the tree line.  _Where is she going?_  Knowing he was faster on horseback than she was on foot, the elf took the time to retrieve her bags, securing them to the rear of Asfaloth's saddle.  _She will not get far._  The elf-lord calmly swung onto the stallion, urging the horse into the trees, easily following the sound of Janessa crashing through the underbrush.

Jan ran almost blindly through the forest, dodging around trees and forcing her way through the brush.  Knowing full well she was leaving an obvious trail, Jan slowed down, listening for any sounds of pursuit.  After several seconds of hearing nothing, the redhead assessed her surroundings.  _Glorfindel is not a wood elf and he's on horseback.  I can't outrun him but maybe I can hide._

The woman looked quickly around, spotting a tree with limbs low enough to climb.  Jan ran the few steps there and launched herself up, catching the branch and swinging herself up.  She climbed further, until the view of the ground was obstructed by sprays of evergreen needles.  Spotting a substantial limb leading over to another tree, she followed it, leaping over to the next pine.  She glanced down again, reassuring herself she was not visible from the forest floor.

Jan looked back up to find herself on the wicked business end of an arrow.  She looked past the weapon into steel-grey eyes.  She spotted the pointed ears immediately as the raven-haired elf had his locks pulled back in a thick single braid, lying over his shoulder.  The dark elf issued what was clearly a command to climb down.

The woman raised her hands, palms out, showing they were empty before crouching down on the branch and swinging around it to drop on the one below.  She glanced back up to find the elf tracking her, bow still flexed, arrow ready to take her out.  "Bloody hell.  Good job Janessa, you got REAL far," the woman muttered to herself as she clamored down.

She dropped the last several feet to the ground to find Glorfindel waiting, sitting astride Asfaloth, a slight smirk gracing his face.  To one side stood the elf who had accosted her, his bow now on his back.  _Wait a minute.  How did he beat me down?_  Jan sensed movement behind her and whirled about to find herself face to face with the elf in question.  _What the…?_

She looked back by Glorfindel, the blonde elf now smiling at the woman's evident confusion.  The same elf stood by Asfaloth, also grinning.  _Oh ha ha!_  Jan stepped away from the elf next to her.  "Elladan and Elrohir, I presume."

The identical elves lost their smirks at her statement, suspicion now growing in their place.  Glorfindel took that moment to break in, "This is Janessa Collier, the woman from Legolas' visions."

After a moment of stunned silence, the twins began firing off questions at the seneschal in Sindarin, the redhead scowling at the trio.  The blonde elf cut them off quickly, asking how they had managed to get away from Elrond.

Jan caught the occasional word and "Elrond," wondering what they were discussing besides her.

Elladan sheepishly answered the seneschal, explaining their Ada had decided an extended patrol along Imladris' border was part of an appropriate punishment for their latest prank.  Glorfindel dismounted, turning to face the redhead as the twins began to move off.

_Even if these people are who and what they claim to be, I have no desire to find out the hard way that Tolkein was wrong about some things._  Janessa faced off against the blonde elf, craning her neck to look up at him.  _He has the most amazing aquamarine eyes…_

"Do you believe me now?"

"My belief is irrelevant."

One dark golden brow went up.  "Will you come with me now?"

"Fine.  Whatever."

"I will take that as an affirmative."  The golden-haired elf turned back to mount the stallion as Jan moved past the horse, walking ahead.  The seneschal stopped, "Where are you going?"  As Jan turned, the elf ordered, "You will ride with me."

"The hell I will.  Bite me."  Jan moved on ahead.

The twins had stopped several yards away, watching the altercation.

Frowning, Glorfindel moved forward, grasping Jan's left elbow with his right hand, pulling her back, "Why would I…"

The woman reacted to the touch instantly.  Jan pushed back with his pull, throwing her full weight against the elf as she twisted toward him.  The move was unexpected, Jan hooking the back of his right ankle with her right foot as he tried to step back, her shifted weight throwing him off balance.  Glorfindel went down, holding fast to the woman, pulling her with him.

Janessa landed on her left side atop the elf.  She tried to roll away to her right, off of him, only to find herself flat on her stomach, her hands pinned behind her, the seneschal sitting on her.  The woman cut loose a stream of abusive curses, squirming in the elf's grip.  "Sonofabitch!  Who the hell so you think you are?  Let me up!"  Jan twisted her head so she could see the blonde elf from the corner of one eye.

"I do not believe that would be wise as you seem determined to fight my every direction.  Now, do you intend to calm down?  We need to return to Imladris."  Glorfindel held his position as Janessa's answer was to try to writhe out of his grasp again.  The seneschal suddenly realized her behavior was causing an inappropriate reaction in him.  He found her stubbornness and fire somehow stimulating.  _How can this woman be eliciting such a response from me?  _He quickly squelched his reaction again, swiftly securing the woman's wrists with heathline and stood, hauling the redhead to her feet with him.

Janessa was indignant as she was unceremoniously tied up, hauled up and then tossed face-down across the lower part of Asfaloth's neck.  She ceased struggling as she had no desire to piss off the large stallion.  She turned her head to face Glorfindel as the elf mounted his steed, baring her teeth in a snarl before resignedly turning away, dropping her cheek to the horse's flank.  She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the elf urge Asfaloth into a ground-eating gallop, bearing them swiftly toward Imladris, silent tears streaming down her face as she focused her senses on the thundering of the horse's hooves against the ground.

Elladan and Elrohir watched the seneschal subdue the woman with open amusement that a human had managed to floor the Elda.  From their vantage point they each wondered at the tears rolling down the redhead's face.  Neither understood the source of her reaction to Glorfindel's touch or salted tracks finding their way down her face.  A new puzzle was before them, their curiosity piqued.  Legolas' mystery woman had been found, but that fact only opened up a whole new series of questions.

A/N:  Never fear, Twisted WILL be different.  This fic is going off in its own direction.


	2. Backlash

**WARNING: There is some sexual content in this chapter! If you don't like that Please don't read any further!**

**Chapter 2: Backlash**

As they rode hard through the forest the bright sunlight filtering down through the canopy diminished, an ominous rumble reverberating in the distance. Fat water droplets began raining down on them, erasing the tear tracks along Janessa's face. The water rolled off her leather attire, keeping her dry but it quickly soaked her hair and drenched Glorfindel.

Janessa's arms and legs had long since gone numb from the awkward position she was in and her chest hurt from bouncing against Asfaloth's flank as the horse galloped. The golden-haired elf held her in place with a hand against her lower back. When the elf had bound her he had taken her weaponry, securing it to his back along with his own bow and quiver. He had, however, missed the twin long knives tucked securely in Janessa's boots.

With the onset of the rain Glorfindel urged his steed on faster. On they rode and with every passing moment the cold rain washed away Janessa's despair, a seething rage slowly growing to replace it. Janessa's focus turned inward, her anger growing and feeding off itself.

The seneschal was unaware of Janessa's extreme emotional state. He could feel her body shaking as she sobbed silently and when she suddenly went still, her muscles tensed. Glorfindel wondered at the change for a moment before returning to his own musings. He mistakenly assumed she was afraid and had mastered her fear.

The seneschal tried to focus on the task at hand, bringing this strange woman to Imladris and getting Legolas' questions answered. For answers this woman surely had to have. Despite his best efforts the elf found his thoughts wandering in a direction he did not want them going. They continuously found their way back to the unusual reaction that he kept having to the human laid before him. Again and again he had to push back an unexpected wave of desire, the feeling of her muscles beneath his splayed fingers proving a rather effective distraction.

Glorfindel found this more than disconcerting, believing himself long beyond such feelings, secure in his bachelorhood. Desire, he had decided, was something he had simply outgrown, his mind turning to other pursuits. For centuries he had turned away every suitor, male or female. No ellyn or ellon had managed to turn his head, yet this human female had sparked his interest with a mere fleeting description from the Mirkwood Prince.

The effort it was taking for him to keep his mind off the redhead was proving a distraction unto itself. He managed to focus himself again as he caught sight of the Bruinien through a break in the trees. _Almost there._ Shortly thereafter Asfaloth burst through the tree line onto the slope before the river.

Had they not already been soaked from the water coming off the trees the downpour they emerged into would have done the job. Before they even reached the river the precipitation was so thick the elf could barely see three feet in front of the horse's nose. Glorfindel pulled the stallion back to a walk, peering through the murkiness.

They splashed through the choppy rising river, both elf and horse releasing a sigh of relief as they reentered the trees, the evergreens providing some relief from the torrential watershed. As if on cue, the rain let up as they broke from the forest, passing through the entry arch and into the courtyard of the Last Homely House, the precipitation lessening to a light mist.

A curious Legolas, followed by Lord Elrond and Gandalf greeted them, emerging from the edifice at the sound of clattering hooves on the cobblestones. The two elves and the Istari drew up short as they beheld the red-haired figure slung across Asfaloth's withers. Legolas stared wide-eyed at the seneschal as he dismounted. The golden elf caught the Prince's gaze and gave a slight nod, acknowledging the other's suspicions. Elrond and Gandalf, seeing the exchange, burst into a torrent of questions, their focus on Glorfindel, eyes glancing to the redhead slung across Asfaloth.

By the time they reached Imladris Janessa had worked herself up into quite a snit. So it was red-faced and pissed-off that she was pulled off Asfaloth. Set on her feet, her numb legs collapsed beneath her weight, driving her to her knees. Anticipating her body's weakness, pins and needles shooting through her extremities Jan moved with the fall to get her hands from behind her.

The woman dropped with her backside to her heels, the lack of control in her limbs causing her to fall on her side, landing smack in the middle of a puddle. The redhead rolled away as Legolas stepped forward to pull her to her feet, managing to tuck her now tingling legs up to her chest, sliding her bound wrists under her feet so her hands were before her.

Legolas stepped back again as Jan righted herself, left knee on the ground, right leg up, her hands sliding from her ankle up her calf, pulling her pant leg up to expose the handle of the knife in her boot. She smoothly withdrew the blade and stood, backing away from the group, rotating the knife handle so the blade faced toward her arm. Janessa's mind whirled as she eyed the four males warily, her hand twisted around, working the blade over the hithlain wrapped around her wrists.

The elves and Istari were speaking rapidly in Sindarin, Jan catching the odd word as well as the names Legolas, Elrond and Gandalf. It wasn't hard to identify who was who. Elrond bore a strong resemblance to his twin sons as well as being the only raven-haired elf present. Gandalf was recognizable as a white-haired and robed old man. That left only one other who could only be Legolas.

The Prince easily stood out by his almost androgynous features. Other than his clearly masculine lean build, the slightly angular nature of his feature marked him as male. Simply put, he was a damn pretty elf, his appearance ethereal.

The way Jan had angled herself only Legolas and Glorfindel had actually spotted her retrieval of the knife. The Prince approached the woman with his hands extended, palms out, attempting to look non-threatening. The Sindar elf effectively drew the woman's attention as Glorfindel circled around behind her, Elrond and Gandalf noticing the blonde elves' behavior and falling silent as they watched the tableau.

The tough elvin rope suddenly gave way beneath Jan's blade, freeing her hands. The seneschal chose that moment to spring forward, catching Janessa's wrist with one hand, applying force to a painful pressure point, forcing her to drop the knife with a strangled cry. The elf had caught her right hand with his left and let up as soon as she relinquished the weapon.

Now even more pissed, Jan turned on the elf. She rotated her wrist in his hand, pulling free as his right arm came up defensively. Janessa blocked him, her left forearm connecting with his right just above his wrist on his inside. Using a defensive tactics move she had picked up in the military she rolled her left forearm around to the outside of his right, catching his elbow joint in an underhand grip, her right hand grasping his wrist as she took a step back, turning to her right.

This placed the elf to her left, standing next to her, his arm straight across her front at about mid-chest height. She immediately twisted his left wrist as she pulled his arm down across her body, anchoring his right wrist against her right hip, forcing him to bend forward at the waist. At the same time she rolled her left hand over her knuckles so the outside blade of her left hand pressed painfully against the nerve bundle on the underside of his arm just above his elbow. She quickly took a step back with her right foot and pivoted, dropping down to her left knee, the elf's arm pinned to her waist.

The tactic was based on spinal flexion and balance disruption. The move sent the golden elf flying through the air to land face down in a mud puddle, Janessa's weight on her left hand resting against his shoulder joint, her right hand holding his right wrist at a painfully bent gooseneck angle.

The startled elf sputtered, pulling his head back to get his face out of the muddy water. He tried to get up only to have the small woman wrench painfully on his shoulder and wrist joints. In a matter of less than five seconds she had dropped the much larger male and pinned him to the ground. The three bystanders gaped, almost disbelieving what they had just witnessed but the proof was before them.

Glorfindel lay immobile on the ground, his face contorted in pain. _That's twice now she has sent me to the ground. Twice I have underestimated my opponent._ More disturbing than the fact he had been taken down by a diminutive human female was his body's response to Jan's demonstration of her skill. Again he felt his loins tightening with desire. It wasn't that she was stronger or faster, but that she wielded her uncommon tactics with a surety and confidence contrary to her appearance. This was new and clearly enticing to the seasoned warrior.

Janessa's face was twisted with rage, her teeth bared in an absolutely feral expression. Through clenched teeth, in a tightly restrained murmur she warned, "Don't you EVER lay a hand on me again!" She scowled at the litter of arrows that had sprayed across the ground as she threw the elf, her expensive red-fletched graphite-composite arrows mingled with Glorfindel's blue and yellow feather-fletched wooden ones. Jan cursed under her breath, hoping none of the deadly missiles had been damaged. Fletches she could repair, but a bent shaft was a lost cause.

Janessa's attention was so focused on the seneschal she failed to register Legolas' approach. The slender elf had drawn one of his white-handled knives and turned it end up. Wincing visibly he hit Janessa across the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. The redhead slumped to the ground, her wet hair plastered across her face and back.

Glorfindel climbed to his feet, rubbing his shoulder, wondering aloud, "What did she do to me?" Sparing an annoyed glance as the woman's crumpled form he began collecting the spilled arrows from the ground.

"That was a move the likes of which I have never seen before," Gandalf spoke up.

Legolas bent over the woman's crumpled form, gently brushing her wet locks away from her face, his forehead creased with confusion. The Prince looked up, addressing his query to the seneschal, "Why did she react so violently to you?"

Arrows retrieved, rubbing his twisted arm, the golden-haired elf raised an eyebrow at the younger elf, his expression incredulous. "I believe the manner in which I brought her here only served to aggravate her already volatile state. I bound her after she came at me before."

"Was that really necessary?" Legolas pressed as he turned her onto her back and lifted her carefully into his arms.

"She would not come with me willingly. There was no reasoning with her. What would you have me do? Leave her in the middle of an unfamiliar forest? Once I ascertained who she was I felt it the most prudent course to bring her here as quickly as possible. She holds the answers to you 'affliction.'" The tall elf made a dismissive gesture with one hand, turning back to Asfaloth to lead the horse away. "No matter. I achieved my goal. She is in your hands now, literally." As Glorfindel moved off the heavens opened up again with renewed intensity.

The entire sequence had taken bare moments to happen. The two elves and Istari watched the seneschal's receding back until the curtains of water blocked him from view, apparently oblivious to the renewed downpour.

Lord Elrond blinked several times, aghast at Glorfindel's abrupt manner. The darkling elf attributed the Elda's demeanor to have been put in a compromised position so easily. _His pride is stung, nothing more._ Finally registering the rain, the Imladrin lord quickly ushered the drenched group inside the Last Homely House, directing them to a suite next to Legolas'.

The Mirkwood Prince handled the unconscious woman like she was made of glass. He could not quite believe that the woman from his visions was actually in his arms. Her appearance was exactly as he remembered it, her facial features now clear to his gaze. The face that so recently had been twisted with anger was positively angelic, relaxed in her forced repose.

Legolas regretted having to knock her out. He had so many unanswered questions. The source of his discomfort of some time lay in his arms, completely insensate. _How did you get here and WHY are you here? I felt you die. _He silently lamented, _Just when things seemed to be getting back to normal._

Both Elrond and Gandalf's thoughts were following the same vein as the Prince's, each keeping their speculations to themselves. The trio arrived quickly to their destination, Legolas hefting his precious load. The Sinda laid the woman carefully on the coverlet, the residual water left clinging to her leathers immediately absorbing into the bedcovers. Her length of tangled, dripping hair quickly turned the pillow into a sodden mess.

Elrond swept into the bathing room, retrieving several large towels. He handed them out to each member of the group. The Prince quickly went about wrapping the woman's long red hair in one. Oblivious to his own sodden state Legolas then went to remove her boots, finding a second knife in the left one. He deftly removed it, handing the weapon to Elrond, the mate of which Gandalf had apparently retrieved and was currently examining, the wizard lifting his eyes occasionally to the prone form on the bed.

Elrond had no way of gauging how long she would be out. His eyes followed the lines of her form fitting black attire. He watched as Legolas examined her ankle-length outer garment. There were no fastenings that he could see. The Sinda noticed a piece of black metal at the base of her neck. Thinking it a charm of some kind he reached up and took hold of it, tugging gently. He started when the charm moved down several inches in response to the pressure, separating the fabric at the same time. The fastener was ingenious. The three looked on with amazement as the leather parted, following Legolas' hand. The Imladrin lord watched as Legolas carefully peeled off the garment and took it from the younger elf, laying it over the back of a nearby chair.

Legolas halted his actions as he examined her short zippered jacket. The long outer coat had a strange fastener and he could only assume this garment had a similar one as well. The blonde elf tugged experimentally at the bottom of the jacket, shaking his head that it was not meant to come off that way. Noticing a silver tab like the one on the long coat up near Janessa's left shoulder he reached across her to pull on it. The tab gave easily, sliding across her chest diagonally and then straight down when it came to a point just below her breasts.

The Prince was in a position to appreciate what the sliding fastener revealed to his gaze. He let his eyes wander over the expanse of tanned skin at her throat, trailing down over the rising swell of her breasts revealed by the dipping neckline of her halter top. He tore his gaze away, gently peeling the second outer garment from her skin. He couldn't help but notice the swath of skin across her midsection that was exposed. He wondered at the odd cut of her clothing. He already knew she wasn't from Middle Earth, at least not any Middle Earth that was recognizable to him.

Elrond took the second jacket from Legolas and placed it with the other coat. This time when he returned to Legolas' side he brought a small soft cloth and a basin of clear water. The elder elf had already picked up on the protective posture the Prince had taken relative to the small woman. Elrond deemed it prudent to let the Sinda take the lead, considering Legolas' connection with her. The raven elf stood back, watching the Prince gently wipe streaks of mud from her face.

_Meanwhile…_

Glorfindel silently cursed himself as he stalked away from his Lord. He had been short with Elrond, his emotions uncharacteristically coloring his words and actions. He let out a sigh of relief as he looked over his shoulder to find the pounding rain had formed a curtain, shielding him from the others' views.

Lost in thought he absently stroked Asfaloth's mane, his fingers twisting in the horse's locks. _What is wrong with me? My emotions have never colored my behavior like this. I am always in control of myself, even in the most dire of circumstances. I don't understand this and I don't like it. She isn't nearly as fair as any of the elleths who have tried to court me. What is it about her? _Without realizing it he envisioned it was Janessa's hair he held between his toying fingers, not the white horse's.

The stallion sensed his master's disquiet and turned his head, nudging the elf's shoulder with his nose. Glorfindel started, blinking several times as he realized the direction his thoughts had wandered in. The elf returned Asfaloth's knowing look, moving his hand to scratch the horse's nose. "It would seem I got lost there for a moment my friend." The stallion snorted in agreement, tossing his head.

The tall elf turned his face to the sky, letting the drops pelt down on him for a moment. He looked back at Asfaloth and grinned wryly, "Let's see about getting both of us inside and out of this torrent." The horse dipped his head in response, whickering as cantered forward, the dark silhouette of Imladris' stables rising out of the veil of rain.

It was as Asfaloth went ahead that Glorfindel caught sight of the woman's saddlebags still laid across the horse's back. _I will need to return those when I go back to the house. _The seneschal picked up his pace, reaching the stables shortly after the stallion. He entered the building to find one of the stable hands already relieving the horse of his burdens. The Elda murmured his thanks, leading Asfaloth to his stall and setting to work drying him off and giving him a thorough rub-down.

Glorfindel tried to let his mind go blank, losing himself in the familiar motions of routine. Letting his thoughts flow free proved a mistake as his mind kept turning to the redhead he last saw nestled in Legolas' arms. He gave up in annoyance as he felt the unexpected flare of jealousy in his chest, his leggings having already tightened to the point of discomfort. Glorfindel finished his task, laying a blanket across the horse's back and securing it.

Asfaloth sensed the Elda's persistent distraction and nudged the elf's chest with his head, neighing softly.

"Thank you old friend, but I will be fine. I just need to think about some things. Don't worry."

The horse turned his head to regard the elf with one eye.

"Don't look at me like that."

Asfaloth chuffed out air and turned, giving the Elda a shove with his head toward the stall gate.

"Alright, alright. I'm going. I'm going," the golden lord laughed as he was unceremoniously pushed out the gate. He turned at the threshold and tugged on the horse's forelock. "Good evening my friend." With relief Glorfindel realized the stallion's antics had effectively distracted him enough for the tightness of his leggings to ease. With a nod to the stable hand he collected his and Janessa's saddlebags and headed back out through the continuing downpour.

The little bit he had been able to dry off was swiftly undone as he was soaked all over again. The rain managed to wash away the remnants of mud still clinging to him. Even sopping wet the Lord of the House of the Golden Flower still put off that unearthly glow associated only with those elves who had gazed upon the Two Trees of Valinor. As one such elf he was among a minority in Middle Earth and considered even more desirable as such.

Glorfindel managed to keep his mind clear as he strode through the Last Homely House. He headed straight to the empty suite next to Legolas', correctly assuming that was where Elrond would choose to install the redhead. The Elda entered the room quietly, garnering glances from only Elrond and Gandalf as he laid the woman's saddlebags and weapons on the floor at the foot of the bed. He stepped quickly out without a word, turning back at the doorway to look back at the prone woman on the bed, the Mirkwood Prince bent over her.

Glorfindel's gaze glanced over the woman's bared arms and midriff. A knot forming in his stomach, he ducked out of the room, moving swiftly to his own quarters. As the door closed behind him, he bolted it and placed his weapons by the door before striding toward his bathing room, shedding sopping clothing as he went, leaving a wet trail in his wake.

The nude Elda took a deep breath as he stepped into the chamber, the warm moisture rising from the sunken pool in the center of the room chasing the chill from his skin. While elves were impervious to weather, they were still aware of temperature differentials. While the cold and wet did not bother him per se, the feeling was not exactly pleasant either. It was something he could banish from his mind if need be. Thus elves did thoroughly enjoy soaking in heated water.

Through a cleverly designed series of plumbing Imladris' architects had managed to channel the heated water from local hot springs to continuously circulate steaming water through submerged pools in various areas of the hidden vale, one of these located in the seneschal's quarters. This particular depression was large enough to hold three elves comfortably.

The elf stepped carefully up to the steam-slicked stones along the edge, noting the light mist that always seemed to hang just above the surface of the water. He climbed down the steps into the water, feeling the tension flee his form as the steaming liquid enveloped him. He ducked under the water for several seconds, rinsing any remaining mud from his golden hair.

Glorfindel surfaced and glided over to the ledge that ran the circumference of the pool, leaning back against the heated stones. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, the slowly swirling water gently caressing his skin. As the warmth relaxed him, his mind turned back to the scarlet-tressed woman.

Finally alone, free of prying eyes and scrutiny, the ancient elf decided to indulge his imagination, letting his mind go where it willed. He found himself conjuring images of Janessa, focusing on the way she moved, the manner in which she handled her weapons. The exposed expanses of skin he had glimpsed drew him. He imagined her hands on him, how she'd touch him, tease him.

He brought his right hand up to his elfhood, only faintly surprised at how hard he had become. He wrapped his fingers around his turgid length and slowly began stroking himself, a muted moan escaping his lips. He varied the pressure as his hand slid over the silken skin of his arousal, his thumb circling the uncircumcised head. He drew out the sensations, stimulating himself with long, sure pulls, his breathing becoming erratic.

Undone, lost in his fantasy, Glorfindel thrust his hips upward, causing waves that splashed over the edges of the pool. He brought his left hand into play, kneading the heavy sacs beneath his throbbing length. His right hand tightened on his arousal almost painfully, his strokes fast and hard, gasping, oblivious to everything but his impending release. With a guttural cry the Elda announced his completion as he came with an intensity he had not experienced in millennia, his body arching up.

Spent, he collapsed back into his seat, the swirling waters whisking away all evidence of his release. The elf ran his fingertips along the sensitized skin of his elfhood, waiting for his arousal to abate. After several moments he realized the relief he longed for had not yet come. With a resigned sigh he opened his eyes, gazing unfocused at the swirling mists about his head.

He continued to trail his calloused fingers lightly over his length, the hardened flesh twitching beneath his touch. He imagined various shapes and forms emerging from the fog that rose from the pool, these visions only serving to increase his frustration. With a gentle grip this time he began stroking himself languidly, having no desire to rub himself raw.

His fantasy this time was all the more elucidated, Janessa's face emerging from the mists before him, her lips tantalizing close to his. Her breath was warm across his face as she straddled his thighs, so close yet not quite there. The very tips of her nipples grazed his chest, his own tightening in response. Her hands slid ever so lightly over his heated skin in the barest caress. She taunted him, blowing moist air over his sensitive ears, his length pulsing in return. She knelt with his head poised at her entrance, taunting him.

With a whisper of a sigh she slowly lowered herself onto his thick arousal. Unable to control himself any longer he thrust into her with reckless abandon, his hand tight on his length, oblivious to the almost painful friction. Glorfindel cried out loudly, his voice reverberating through the chamber, the movement of his hand a blur. With a muted scream he came hard, muscles tensing as he milked every drop from his length.

When he finally regained coherence he winced as he realized how sore he was. He gingerly climbed out of the pool, moving slowly and carefully he dried himself off with a large towel from a ledge near the entrance. He flinched every time he brushed his finally softened length, comprehending that he very likely would be walking funny tomorrow.

He ignored his robe hanging on the opposite side of the door, heading straight for his bed. He thanked the Valar for the cool satin sheets he kept on the pallet, the smooth fabric soothing his raw skin. So emotionally exhausted was he that no sooner was he wrapped in the sheets' embrace than he dropped into a blissfully dreamless sleep, his eyes falling shut.

_Meanwhile…_

Once Legolas had Janessa situated Elrond urged the younger elf to go change into dry clothes. To Elrond's annoyance the Mirkwood Prince refused to leave the woman's side. The Imladrin Lord exchanged a glance with Gandalf before sweeping out of the room.

Several minutes later the raven elf returned, wearing dry robes himself and carrying a bundle for Legolas. Elrond nodded to the Istari who left the suite quietly.

Elrond placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder, handing the blonde the bundle when he turned, "Please, Legolas. Put these on."

The slender elf finally relented, ducking into the bathing room. When the Prince emerged he found Elrond had removed the towel from Janessa's hair and placed a damp packet of herbs against the back of her head to help reduce the swelling from the hit she had sustained.

The healer had seated himself by the fireplace in which a blaze was crackling merrily, barely audible above the din outside.

Legolas nodded his thanks and settled himself again by the redhead's side.

The storm still raged outside, the heavy rain having been joined by gusting winds, thunder echoing through the hidden vale, the weather rattling the window shutters and battering the balcony doors.

The turbulence outside matched the disquiet of Legolas' mind. Question after question rose in his mind, but the woman with the answers before him remained silent and unconscious.

The Sindar elf had been struck by a wave of confusion and fear at what he now realized was the moment Janessa had appeared in Middle Earth. Ever since then he had been aware of alien feelings in the back of his mind. Most prominently had been the rising tide of anger flowing from the woman.

Unlike previous visions the experience was not incapacitating, taking over his actions. This time it was almost like a presence in the back of his mind. He could feel her emotions but not experience events as they were happening to her. The experience was still disconcerting but far from incapacitating.

Glorfindel had somehow managed to raise her ire. Legolas wondered exactly what had happened to induce the balrog-slayer to bind the woman as he had. Legolas wondered at Glorfindel's loss of poise. The Elda was known for his ability to remain composed under the most extreme of circumstances. The seneschal had been clearly distracted. More and more questions came to the elf's mind but no answers were forthcoming.

Legolas turned his mind away from idle speculation, instead focusing on the human woman before him. They were connected to each other somehow, Valar only knew how or why that was.

After some time Gandalf returned with Aragorn and Arwen in tow. By that time Legolas had covered Janessa with several sheets and blankets, pushing the damp coverlet down to the base of the bed. The Prince himself had stretched out beside her on top of the covers, not touching, but within reach. Within moments Legolas slipped into revere.

A muted conference was quickly held by the fireplace, voices kept low so not to disturb the sleeping elf and woman on the bed. The air was heavy and tingling with electricity as the storm raged on outside. Information was shared and decisions made, the two new additions to the group throwing curious glances at Janessa.

Arwen gasped and everyone froze as the redhead moved, shifting in her forced slumber. They watched with held breath as the woman turned onto her side, brow furrowed, reaching out for something. The Evenstar covered her mouth with one hand as a sleeping Legolas drew the woman to him, Janessa releasing a relieved whisper as she folded herself into his embrace, head tucked under his chin, arm around his back.

Elrond swiftly dismissed the astounded group, ushering them out of the suite. Everyone scattered to their rooms as the hour was late and the weather increasingly foul, the thunderclaps veritably shaking the Last Homely House.

_Let's follow Ellessar and his elvin bride…_

Arwen practically dragged Aragorn back to their suite, slamming the door behind them and double checking to make sure it was indeed bolted as well as locked. She didn't want any unexpected visitors or a repeat of her brothers' latest prank.

Aragorn turned sharply to gaze at his wife, his curiosity clear on his face.

"Did you hear her?" Arwen asked incredulously.

Brow furrowed, the man stared at her, clearly still not comprehending what she was referring to.

Clarifying, she continued, "That woman called him by name!"

"Legolas?" Aragorn asked, surprised.

Her smile triumphant, "Yes! How could she possibly know he was next to her is she was unconscious?"

Sensing something sinister Aragorn responded, "Are you suggesting she's faking her unconscious state?"

Arwen waved a hand dismissively, shaking her head, "No. Somehow she just KNEW he was THERE!"

Still not quite understanding, "Alright, what of it?"

The willowy elf stepped forward, giving her sometimes dense husband a shove, "It means we were right and the link goes both ways. He can sense her and she can sense him!"

"Oh. Ok."

Arwen rolled her eyes in a very unladylike manner and turned away. She moved to her dresser, reaching up to undo her hair.

Aragorn silently stripped down to his breeches. Still feeling the lingering affects of the twins' latest prank he came up behind his wife and pushed her hands aside removing the braids from her hair himself before moving on to her dress.

Arwen watched the man in the mirror for several beats, turning to launch an attack of her own. In a short span of time the two twined figures fell back on their pallet, lost in each other.

_Now where did Gandalf and Elrond go?_

Elrond and Gandalf had retired to the Lord's study, each reclining in a high wing-backed chair, a glass of warmed murivor being sipped by each ancient being.

"You do realize this only adds to our countless questions?"

Elrond merely nodded at the Istari's observation, savoring a mouthful of the legendary liqueur. With a sigh the elf placed his glass on a nearby table, turning his attention back to his long-time friend. "Yes. We had dared to hope that Legolas' ordeal was at an end. I do not know if we should welcome or rue her arrival here. We do not even know how it is she came to be here. She clearly is from somewhere clearly not of our world. Whether she is from the distant future or a wholly different reality remains to be determined. Only one thing is certain, I believe."

Brows raised, Gandalf urged the elf on, "And what is that, pray tell?"

His eyes meeting the Istari's direct gaze, Elrond spoke plainly, "Somehow magic is involved in this. How or whose or for what purpose I can not fathom. I can only pray it is not sinister in nature."

The two fell into a tense silence, mulling over the implications of the Imladrin Lord's statements.

TBC….

A/N: I heartily apologize for how long this took to get out. Work has taken over my life again. I find myself working 16-hour shifts with only enough time in between to catch a minimum of sleep. I'm working hard on chapter 22 of _Twisted_ so that should be up next as well as the latest installment of _Two Too Much._ Until then, PLEASE review. Yes, I am begging.


	3. The Game's Afoot

**Chapter 3: The Game's Afoot**

Janessa woke up slowly. She felt safe and warm in her bed. She… wasn't alone.

The redhead's eyes flew open to gaze down at a lean, male chest only partly covered by a loose shirt. Whoever it was had her wrapped in their gentle embrace, her head tucked beneath his chin. Suddenly, everything that had transpired recently came rushing back to her. It took supreme effort for her not to shove the man next to her away as pain flashed through her head. After the initial spike the pounding settled down to a dull ache in the back of her head.

Jan slowly reached up to press the pads of her fingers across the back of her skull, quickly finding a large knot. _Son of a bitch. Someone musta blind-sided me. But back to the present._ She had to find some way of extricating herself from the present position without waking him up.

Jan shifted her weight off his chest to her left side, on the bed. She froze, making sure he was still asleep. She then reached back with her free right arm and carefully peeled his arm from her waist, laying it across his stomach. Next she bent her had forward, out from under his chin and lifted it off his chest. She slowly shifted up onto her left elbow, turning her head to again assess his state of wakefulness.

Jan stopped dead as she looked down, directly into his wide-open eyes. _Oh SHIT!_ She thought before checking herself. She brought her right hand up, waving it before his eyes before releasing a silent sigh. _So elves DO sleep with their eyes open. Interesting. Don't have time to investigate this now. Need to stay focused. _

Relieved, the woman began to carefully inch her way out of what she now realized were Legolas' arms. _I don't even WANT to know how I ended up like that. If he wasn't so damn striking I'd consider this a "double coyote ugly" situation._

Jan repressed a chuckle as she finally got away from him, twisting to sit on the edge of the bed. _Here I am, living every Legolas-fancier's dream and I'm doing my damnedest to get away from him. Can we say irony much?_

Looking around, the woman quickly spotted where her coats hand been laid and her boots placed. Only then did she finally register the reality that someone had to have removed those articles while she was unconscious. Which brought her back to the large lump she was currently sporting on the back of her head.

Performing a rudimentary tactical analysis in her head she concluded that the elf currently in repose on the bed had to have been the one who clocked her. _Chivalry is truly dead_, she mused.

Just like the Air Force had trained her, Janessa swiftly assessed her avenues of escape, trying to find a human-sized "hole" in Imladris' security. With Glorfindel as Captain of Elrond's forces she knew there would be few, if any, breaches in the defense network.

That was when a possible tactical error struck her. _Stop thinking modern-day with levels within levels of redundant security. Think Medieval. Every elf, on some level, is capable of fighting, thus the likelihood that Glorfindel has a specific set of guards patrolling the house and grounds of the Last Homely House is slim to none. Add to that the fact that the One Ring has been destroyed and you get complacency at home. _She'd found the hole.

Not that Janessa entertained any delusions that she was any kind of a match for an elf should she encounter one. The woman knew full well that the only reason she had managed to floor Glorfindel, of all ellon and twice no less, was she had the advantage of surprise as well as employing techniques wholly unfamiliar to any elves. In short, she'd been damn lucky. She only prayed that her luck would hold out long enough for her to make good her escape.

Still mulling over her options the woman stood slowly from the bed. First she donned her socks and then her coats. As she dressed she spotted her weapons laid at the foot of the bed. Needing to maintain silence, she rummaged around in her pockets until she came up with a bandanna. Moving at a painstakingly snail's pace she wrapped the fletched ends of her arrows, securing the fabric to the side of the quiver so the darts wouldn't clatter together when she moved.

She shouldered her bow and was about to pick up her boots when she spotted something poking out from under the bed. Bending down, she pulled it out to discover a tightly coiled length of hithlain.

It was all the woman could do to contain her excitement. Here lay the answer to her escape. She glanced toward the balcony, a smirk crossing her lips. Now she would no longer have to brave the obstacles she knew she would face evading detection through the halls of the Last Homely House. Frankly, she was not THAT good at tactical concealment in an urban setting.

The redhead strode toward the balcony doors. Outside the raging storm had somewhat lessened in its anger, the tempest nowhere near as bad as it had been. Still, the racket from without would increase exponentially as soon as she opened those doors, surely waking the still-sleeping elf on the bed.

_How do I get out and get the rope tied off fast enough that he won't be on me?_ She had to stop herself from snapping her fingers as the light bulb went on in her head. _That's it!_ Jan quickly laid her boots aside, fashioning one end of the hithlain into a close facsimile of a hangman's noose. She laid the rope next to her boots and stepped into the footwear.

Knowing full well there was no way of disguising the sound of her boots zipping up she took a tab in each hand and yanked them both up. Not waiting to see if Legolas had awoken she let her pant legs drop down, caught the hithlain in one hand and hit the latch on one of the doors at the same time. She strode out into the rain, throwing the noose over the balustrade and bringing the loop around to feed the coiled length through, dropping it over the side.

Just as she was climbing onto the slick railing she heard a cry of, "TAMPA!" from behind her. The rope in her right hand, she glanced over her shoulder to see a shocked Legolas stalking toward her. Not sparing a second look she jumped. Headfirst she went over the balustrade, her legs and feet wrapping around the cord to control her descent. She slid Aussie-style down the line, head to the ground.

As she dropped she looked up past her feet to the blatantly shocked look on the elf's face, revealed by the flashing lightning. She knew then that pursuit would not begin until she hit the ground. She looked back down and suddenly halted her movement, releasing her feet to flip to the grass.

Legolas awoke to the alien "vvvppp!" of Janessa zipping her boots up. He turned his gaze toward the sound to be greeted by the sight of the woman stepping through the balcony door, silhouetted against the stormy backdrop. She was running. Again. There was no other reason for her to be going out into such nasty pre-dawn weather, especially with her weapons strapped to her back.

_No. I will not let you disappear again, leaving only questions in your wake. Not this time._ Purposefully, the elf strode toward her as she clamored onto the railing. For the briefest moment he thought she might be attempting suicide. Then he caught sight of the tied-off rope. _Not suicide, but definitely flight._ Bent on stopping her he kept coming, sliding across the rain-slicked marble paving the balcony as she again shocked him by leaping headfirst over the edge rather than swinging out onto the hithlain.

Catching himself on the railing he looked down to find her looking back up at him as she went head over feet down the rope. _Sweet Eru! She's going to crash into the ground!_ Unable to look away, like someone driving past a bad car wreck, the elf stood transfixed, watching her descent in the flickering lightning.

He almost couldn't believe it when she suddenly halted her drop, flipping down to her feet and sprinting for the woods. The Prince shook himself and turned away, taking his soaked form back inside to rouse the house. Janessa was loose somewhere in the storm shrouded forest.

As soon as her feet were down she sprinted for the tree line, knowing her only hope lay in effective concealment. The pouring rain quickly drenched her hair, her leather attire, for the most part, keeping her dry. As soon as she was far enough into the forest she'd have to somehow mask her hair. From Combat Survival Training she already knew the damned color would shine like a beacon day or night.

Once she felt she was far enough away from Elrond's home Janessa stopped. Figuring she wouldn't be taking any more head-first plunges in the near future she unshouldered her bow and swung her quiver around to remove the black bandanna from her arrows. That accomplished she took her dripping hair and wrung it out as best she could. She then twisted it up into a tight knot and covered it with the cloth.

Shouldering her bow again, she cast her gaze about on the ground. Finding what she needed, she knelt over the thick mud puddle, dipping her fingers in and bringing them to her face, smearing the smooth brown paste over her pale skin. Satisfied with her makeshift camouflage job Janessa set about doing what she had done best in Woodland Evasion: hiding.

Glorfindel awoke with a start, sitting straight up on bed. It wasn't yet daybreak but something had roused him from his deep, dreamless sleep. Something was wrong. He could feel it. His instincts having never failed him, the seneschal knew he should listen.

He threw off the covers, exposing his nude form to the chill air following in the wake of the dying fire in the bedroom hearth. As he moved to stand, the soreness in his nether regions made itself known. The annoying discomfort brought home to him the reality of what he had done that night. Consciously disregarding the pain, the seneschal dressed quickly. He kicked his still-muddy clothes from the previous evening aside as he made his way out of his chambers.

No sooner had he exited into the hallway than he was accosted by a frantic Legolas, the Prince practically babbling about Janessa, some hithlain and the forest.

As far as he could tell he was not the first person the Prince had roused, but he was the first one out. The Elda sent the Sinda on his way and turned back to his entryway, retrieving a long leather cloak before heading out into the stormy, gathering dawn.

He would find her. He wasn't sure how, but he would.


	4. The Foundling

Disclaimer: (In the Spirit of Crimson Starlight)

Erika: watches Glory and Shana go running by followed by Haldir with Erin slung over his shoulder Ok. rubs eyes I MUST be dreaming.

group runs past going in the other direction

Erika: Ok, I'm NOT dreaming. pulls Shana into side room, pushing Jan out in her place as group goes by again Gotcha!

Jan: EEEp! runs

Shana: Thank you! gasps I thought I'd NEVER get away from them.

Erika: pulls woman close, smirking You know I like having you all to myself.

Shana: Oh my. I own nothing and no one other than my original characters. This is definitely AU so don't get pissy over me not sticking to canon. I don't do 10th walker stories.

Erika: waggles brows No you do not. Shall we? drags Shana away

Shana: wide-eyed Oh dear.

**Chapter 4: The Foundling**

By the time the Last Homely House was roused and search parties organized and dispatched at least an hour had passed. More than a few eyebrows were raised by the noticeable absence of a certain golden-haired seneschal who would normally have been the one coordinating such an effort.

Still reeling from the shock he had received at his awakening, Legolas' patience had run out and he had departed within half an hour, much to the annoyance of Erestor who was left to coordinate the remaining elves in Glorfindel's stead.

This put Janessa an hour ahead of the main body of searchers, half an hour ahead of Legolas and only minutes ahead of the balrog slayer.

Consciously putting aside the discomfort his leggings caused him Glorfindel stepped out into the rain, pulling the hood of his cloak up over his ever-shining hair. For not the first time the Elda was glad he had made the effort to fashion the long leather garment. It had taken him some time to gather pieces of hide large enough to form the panels that reached from his shoulders to his ankles and then work and treat them until they were thin, light, and naturally water repellant. The resulting article not only kept him dry but served to conceal his presence from others. The fact that he quite literally glowed in the dark, having been one of very few elves in Middle Earth to have gazed upon the light of the Two Trees had proven to be more of an annoyance than anything else. It marked him as a true Eldar and yet made him an outsider at the same time.

The golden-haired elf considered himself more infamous than famous. That he was the only person before whom the Nazgul would flee had proven both blessing and curse, making him appear even more unreachable. Many had vied for his favor and attention, all he found somehow… lacking. The seneschal had earned the respect of all, but had only a few close friends, preferring to keep to himself. Dying had a way of changing a person.

Glorfindel began his search on the ground beneath Legolas' balcony, his keen eyes picking out the tracks the woman had left in the mud. It was lucky that Janessa was human. With every step her foot sank into the mud, leaving behind a track that the rain did not immediately wash away. Had it been an elf the Elda was tracking, his job would have been that much more difficult, the light footfalls leaving little mark, ones easily erased by the downpour.

Glorfindel easily followed the trail she left into the surrounding forest. Once under the canopy Janessa's footprints were more distinct, the filtered drizzle not enough to wash away the imprints. Thoughts, inappropriate for this time and place, kept threatening to distract him. Wisps of the previous night's imagery flitted about the edges of his consciousness. The balrog-slayer kept his head bowed, following the trail until it abruptly ended.

Brows knitted, the seneschal found himself staring up the trunk of a large pine tree. _What is this now?_ He stepped carefully around the base of the tree looking for any more tracks. He found himself back where he had started, the muddy smudges leading partway up the tree's bark confirming his suspicion. _She climbed up this tree, but not down. Could it be this easy?_ He pulled his cowl back, gazing up through the misty precipitation into the tree's branches. _Is she hiding in this tree?_

Hesitating barely a moment, the elf threw his cloak back off his shoulders and began to make his way up through the branches, moving in a spiral pattern around the trunk to be sure he didn't miss a potential hiding place. _Where is she?_ Frustrated, the elf proceeded higher until he realized she must have leapt to another tree before returning to the ground. _She probably came up here to get a better vantage point and check for pursuers._

Glorfindel finally stopped and surveyed the area around and below. Stymied, he swiftly descended back down. Assuming that the woman had moved from tree to tree, then back to the ground in an effort to elude anyone following, the Elda began looking for more tracks, moving outward in a spiral with the pine at the center of his search pattern.

-------------

High above the ground Janessa lay nestled in a naturally formed hollow. Foliage draped around the space, entirely shielding her from view. She'd caught sight of a faint shimmering glow in the distance when she'd peeked out moments before. She couldn't be sure of the source, but she had no intention of taking any chances.

Somehow, some way someone was pulling the most elaborate of pranks on her and she was NOT laughing. As real as everything and everyone seemed she just could not accept that she had just woken up in Middle Earth. _THIS isn't happening. I'm having a very elaborate and realistic dream. Damn my overactive imagination!_

Feeling relatively secure in her hiding spot, the woman drew her legs in to her chest, letting her head drop to rest against her knees. This semi-relaxed state allowed the throbbing in the back of her skull to come to the forefront, growing to encompass the whole of her head with even her face hurting. Janessa checked herself as she almost let out a pained groan. Turning her focus inward, the redhead tried to consciously subjugate the pain but failed miserably. Unable to handle the combination of pain, fatigue and stress Janessa's mind chose to shut down. The woman proceeded to blackout where she sat, losing all awareness of the outside world.

In the meantime…

Down below, Glorfindel was becoming increasingly agitated, annoyed and frustrated by his inability to ascertain where Janessa had descended from the trees. He had even backtracked twice, making sure he had not missed anything. In between, half an hour had passed and the seneschal found himself at the base of the tree she'd originally ascended.

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Now thoroughly irritated, Legolas veritably stormed out of the Last Homely House, weapons in hand, only to be immediately drenched by the renewed downpour. The Prince strode out to the place where he had seen Janessa enter the woods, stopping just inside the treeline. Instead of looking for tracks Legolas had decided to search for the woman another way.

Closing his eyes, the slender archer reached out with his mind, attempting to use their connection as a kind of homing beacon. Granted, had you asked the elf what a homing beacon was he would have been clueless, but the concept was there.

Sorting through all the various stimuli he was receiving, Legolas identified the feeling he'd come to associate with the woman. Assuming that the strength and clarity of the feeling would increase as he got closer to her he set out, focused on that distinct buzzing in the back of his head.

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Losing his swiftly diminishing patience Glorfindel literally growled out loud, giving voice to his frustration. _Where are you woman? You did not have sufficient enough of a head start to get very far so you MUST be hiding, and somewhere very nearby._

Closing his eyes, the Elda took several deep and centering breaths. _I must place myself in her boots. As a human I know I cannot outrun the surely pursuing elves so I must hide. Now I must retrace her steps, taking into account her size._

Glorfindel opened his eyes and looked up the trunk of the tree he knew she had climbed, once again spotting the smudges of mud on the bark. Carefully, he began to move up into the tree, following every move she had made, essentially becoming her, as much as possible, as he proceeded.

Moving slowly and meticulously he began noticing things he had previously missed in his haste, a bent branch here, another smudge of mud there. Heartened that he was on the right track the balrog-slayer followed the indicators from tree to tree, amazed that a human could apparently feel so comfortable so high off the ground.

Being an elf he had the ability to move through the trees with relative ease yet preferred to keep both feet on solid ground. For a human, and a woman no less, to willingly take to the trees was telling, most likely indicative of her desperation to escape.

That gave him pause. For a second he stilled in his search considering how desperately the woman clearly wanted to get away and mulling over the wisdom of the search that surely was being planned and implemented at that moment. _She is scared and has run away, again._

Looking ahead, it was then that the Elda spotted what he had been looking for. Hanging from a branch was a long, iridescent strand of red hair. Now he knew he was definitely on the right track. Catching sight of movement below him, Glorfindel glanced down to see Legolas on the forest floor. _So the body of the search begins._

He watched the Prince halt for a moment, head uplifted, eyes shut, clearly concentrating on something. _He is using their connection to find her. _Something about that thought added urgency to the balrog-slayer's movements. For some reason he felt like he _had_ to find her first.

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Legolas strode along the forest floor with surety and purpose. He stopped every several feet, closing his eyes to reassure himself he was following the right trail. Granted his was trail not visible to any eye. Unknowingly he passed below the tree Glorfindel was in and in his certainty, utterly bypassed the pine in which Janessa was hidden. The Prince had gotten just a hair too cocky in his ability to master his new ability.

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Glinting between the foliage surrounding her hiding place Janessa was unaware in her unconscious state that a lock of her flaming hair had come loose from its concealment. It was this one lock that would prove her undoing.

Crossing over into the next tree the seneschal froze as from the corner of the eye he caught sight of something out of place from its surroundings. Turning his head he focused his keen eyesight on the anomaly, his pulse racing at what he discovered.

Moving quickly and silently the Elda advanced on the position and in one swift motion moved aside the branches concealing the woman's hiding place. What he found made his stomach clench painfully, apprehension sweeping through him. Glorfindel knelt before the unconscious woman, balancing carefully on the curved branch.

The hollow she had found just barely held her contorted form, her knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, her weapons pressing what must have been painfully into her back. She had drawn one of her knives and held it clenched tightly in her right hand, the blade pressing against the tree's bark. Her forehead rested on her knees, slight discoloration showing at the edges of her hairline at the back of her head. The betraying lock of hair trailed from the side of her left temple to the ends twisted in the concealing branch's needles. She was clearly insensate.

Carefully the elf lifted the woman's arms, retrieving the knife and returning to the sheath in her boot. He then gently lifted her face, taking in the mud smeared on her cheeks and the unhealthy pallor revealed where tracks of tears had washed away the grime. Something was very, very wrong.

Somehow already knowing the futility of it he decided to try anyway. Murmuring softly he called out to the redhead, "Janessa… Janessa… Can you hear me? Janessa, please come back to me…" Anything else he might have said died on his lips there. _Come back to ME?_ Realizing he had no time for introspection, the elf carefully hoisted the still unresponsive woman into his arms and began to make his way down out of the canopy.

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Legolas had been quite literally running around in circles. He had been able to follow his senses to a point, but now found himself at a loss. He knew she had to be somewhere in the near vicinity but could not pinpoint her exact location. Frustrated, he clenched his teeth and literally growled out loud.

Nerves on edge, he spun about as he heard a soft thump from behind him. Turning, he found himself confronted with the sight of Glorfindel, crouched before him, Janessa in his arms, having clearly dropped out of the canopy. The Prince was about to step forward and take the redhead from the seneschal when the golden-haired elf stood and spoke.

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The balrog-slayer made his way to the ground, dropping into an open space to find himself faced with Legolas. Seeing the intent in the younger elf's eyes the Elda found himself suddenly filled with a reluctance to relinquish the redhead. Standing and speaking quickly in a voice that brooked no argument he stated, "Something has happened. We need to get her to Elrond immediately."

Without another word or acknowledgement from the Prince the seneschal turned on his heel and began sprinting back to Imladris, his cloak whipping out behind him, looking very much like he had grown wings and was flying away.

Glorfindel made a conscious effort to push away the thoughts and feelings swirling through him, moving with expediency to get the rather frail looking form in his arms to safety and help, whether she wanted it or not.

Legolas had no choice but to follow in the wake of the retreating balrog-slayer, annoyance rising in the back of his mind that he carefully schooled from his thoughts and features. She was _his_ and for some strange reason he felt like the elder elf was trying to steal her away.

A/N: Much more to come. Sorry to leave it there, but you deserved and update, so here it is! Please, please review!


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